Two movies. That’s all it took for every single Paul Thomas Anderson movie to become an event. His first film, Hard Eight, opened with relatively little fanfare. His second, Boogie Nights, announced to the world that Anderson would be a filmmaker to celebrate. One whose work we would anticipate, possibly revere. With each subsequent film, film fans everywhere have salivated to find out what Anderson has in store for us next.

The latest event, Inherent Vice, opens in limited release this weekend. It’s both a huge departure for the director in that it’s the first film of his directly based on someone else’s work (the inspiration for There Will Be Blood was very different from the final film), but somehow it also perfectly fits into his career. Like most of his movies, it’s a film set in and around California and tells a story about its history. Anderson loves California, and that interest shows in almost every one of his movies. And while exploring that running theme, each of his seven movies gets more confident and daring. There has yet to be a single misstep.

Still, there has to be some kind of hierarchy, right? Some kind of almost impossible deathmatch in which these seven glorious works are pitted against one another, to see which triumphs.

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Los Angeles, the hunt is on for free, original paintings like the one above by the one and only Scott Campbell. In fact, exactly like the one above. But you’re going to have to be quick, smart and pop culture savvy.

Starting right now, and repeating each day until the Friday opening of his latest exhibit at Gallery 1988, Campbell is hiding an original painting from a famous film at the location where the scene was shot. Figure out the location, head there, find it and it’s yours. Then, see hundreds more paintings July 11 at the Revenge of the Great Showdowns exhibition at Gallery 1988 West.

Below, read Campbell’s clues about the fourth painting (seen above) and see a small selection of pieces that’ll be in this week’s show. Read More »

These days, it’s easy to look back on Paul Thomas Anderson‘s 1997 masterpiece Boogie Nights with reverence. Personally, it’s my second or third favorite movie of all time; it was nominated for all kinds of Oscars; and launched (or re-launched) the careers of numerous actors we’re all familiar with today. Since its release, Anderson has continued the same level of excellence and some of his seventies-influenced, but modern filmmaking techniques have become the fodder of film discussion across the world. Boogie Nights is a modern American classic, period.

However, before the film was released, New Line wasn’t quite sure what they had besides a two and a half hour movie about porn starring Marky Mark, from the director of Hard Eight, featuring a flamboyant Burt Reynolds and a massive ending. According to a new interview, producer Michael De Luca looks back on that uncertainty with fondness but admits, if it wasn’t for the positive reviews that came out of the New York Film Festival, the movie might have gone straight to video. Read More »

CigsAndRedVines has uncovered almost ten minutes of behind the scenes b-roll footage from the set of Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Boogie Nights. The footage is unedited, a bunch of snippets from inside the club, including a look at the amazing and infamous steadicam shot which opened the film, the big dance number, as well as some shots from Jack Horner’s diner meeting with Dirk, some scenes inside the beach party, and more. We’ll probably not get a better look into the making of a Paul Thomas Anderson film than the documentary PTA shot for the Magnolia DVD, but this comes close. Watch the video now embedded after the jump.

This month, Paul Thomas Anderson is set to start filming his seventh feature film, Inherent Vice. For fans of the generally shy director, that’s reason enough to celebrate. Now Mondo has sweetened the pot considerably, announcing a poster series for the films of Anderson curated by artist Aaron Horkey.

Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood all are getting brand new posters this week, from a variety of artists, and you can check them out below. Read More »

/Film reader and Brazilian artist Mario Graciotti has created a few series of posters I wanted to showcase on the site. The posters showcase the films of Paul Thomas Anderson, Alfred Hitchcock, and Pixar Animation Studios. Check out some of Graciotti’s minimalistic posters, after the jump.

Quentin Tarantino has recorded a list of his top 20 favorite films which have been released over the last 17 years. What’s so special about the last 17 years, or the year 1992? That was the year Tarantino became a filmmaker.

Films on Tarantino’s list include Battle Royale, Anything Else, Audition, Blade, Boogie Nights, Dazed & Confused, Dogville, Fight Club, Fridays, The Host, The Insider, Joint Security Area, Lost In Translation, The Matrix, Memories of Murder, Police Story 3, Shaun of the Dead, Speed, Team America, and Unbreakable. It think it’s interesting that Tarantino mentions that The Matrix sequels ruined the mythology, enough to push the first film off the top of his list. Watch the full list after the jump, complete with commentary from Tarantino himself .

As you probably know by now, Gallery 1988 will be holding their third annual pop culture art show Crazy4Cult 3D from July 16th (TONIGHT!!!) to August 8th in Los Angeles. Gallery1988 has given us permission to run an exclusive preview of some of the cool artwork which hasn’t been seen yet, that will be available at the show. After the jump we’ve included over 30 pieces of the awesome art you’ll see at the show. If you’re interested in buying any of the original art — make sure you’re there! If you want to order any of the prints, you can email Gallery 1988 at gallery1988@aol.com or call them at 323 937 7088.

With Kevin Smith’s latest film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, hitting theaters this Friday, we at /Film thought it might be a good time to take a look back at the history of fictional pornographic movies. Typically, unless the movie you are watching is itself a porno, porn plays a minor role in films, skirting around the edges and marginally infusing the proceedings with a dollop of sexuality. However, the following pornos have all in some way wormed their way into becoming major plot devices for (mostly) memorable movies. Here are five of the most infamous fake pornos, as seen in films:

Porno: Logjammin’

As Seen In: The Big Lebowski

Remember when Tara Reid was still considered sexy? Neither do I, but apparently at some indeterminate time in the past, Reid was seen as hot enough to be tapped for the role of trophy wife and porn star in the Coen brothers hilarious stoner comedy, The Big Lebowski. In one of the pivotal scenes in this film’s labyrinthine plot, Maude Lebowski and the Dude come to the realization that the Nihilists aren’t actually involved in kidnapping Reid’s character, Bunny, at all!

This porno begins to answers questions we never even wanted to ask. What does Tara Reid look like in a porn film? What are the physical mechanics of efficient German lovemaking? Who would possibly want to see Peter Stormare naked? Either way, Julianne Moore’s brilliant deadpan commentary make this porno one for the books.